Contract Law Claim, Damages Preparation and Appraisal Services

We will provide you with the expert advice on the contractual validity of a claim, together with definitive opinions on the extent of the financial entitlement or liability.

Guidance on admissible heads of claim and timing and content of submissions. Computer aided claims evaluation and presentation which will demonstrate the critical effect of extensions of time, loss and expense and matters causing delay and disruption.

Identification and costing of resources such as labour, plant and general overheads.

Advice in relation to all problems of payment, contra charges, set-off and counter claims.

• Full claims preparation service or guidance and direction for such preparation in-house in an overseeing advisory role to format claim documents.

• Expert advice on the contractual and legal validity of a claim and assessment of the extent of contractual and financial value, entitlement or liability.

Longworth Consulting has the expertise both legal and technical, to provide clients with the best value solutions when claims arise. We have flexible staff resources that can be mobilised to work at a client's office or site to either prepare, appraise or defend claims for extensions of time, prolongation cost, disruption cost, acceleration cost or for the recovery of disputed variations.

Longworth Consulting employs legally qualified staff to analyse the legal and contractual position, engineers and quantity surveyors to analyse the technical and monetary position and planners to analyse the effect of delay and disruption upon planned progress. We therefore provide our clients with powerful and experienced teams that combine the three crucial elements necessary for the proper analysis of claims, namely, the legal position, time entitlement and financial position.

Claims preparation

Clients request Longworth Consulting to advise on claims at three different stages of a project.

At the outset of a major project Longworth Consulting can ensure that the procedures for proper evaluation and payment of contractual entitlements through the currency of the project are in place. This benefits contractors and subcontractors who then receive early payment of their claims.

During the construction phase when a claim situation arises, the involvement of Longworth Consulting at an early stage will ensure proper records are kept and that there is a prompt claim submission and payment of monies.

We can help even after completion of a project when, for example, a contractor has had difficulty in establishing an entitlement to claim or has not received proper payment for claims matters. Longworth Consulting staff will review the prepared claims, and, if necessary, in a persuasive and professional manner make appropriate amendments and represent the claim. Alternatively Longworth Consulting will provide staff with the necessary legal and technical skills to prepare a fully documented claim.

Appraisal and Defence

Employers or contractors who are on the receiving end of contractual correspondence relating to the interpretation of the contract or claims for more time and additional cost are advised to take great care in making the appropriate responses. Should the subject matter of the correspondence develop into a full scale dispute the manner and content of these responses could become very relevant. Longworth Consulting has many years of experience in providing a service in drafting responses to correspondence of this nature.

The dispute may be unresolved and a fully documented claim be submitted. Longworth Consulting can be appointed to provide independent advice as to the validity of the claim and, if appropriate, produce a fully detailed response.